Process for the manufacture of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, or mixtures of these gases



Patented July 7, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE."

ANTONIUS FOSS, BIRGER FJELD HALVORSEN, AND NICOLAI STEPHANSEN, OF CHRIS-TIANIA, NORWAY, SELSKAB, F CHRISTIANIA, NORWAY.

AS-SIGNORS T0 NORSK HYDRQ ELEKTRISK KV'AELSTOFAKTIE- rnocnss non THEmnnurnoronn on HYDROGEN, cannon MONOXIDE, OR MIXTURES or THESE GASES. I

No Drawing.

Norway, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Processes for the Manufacture of Hydrogen, Carbon Monoxide orMixtures of These Gases; and we do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will'enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same. I

A known process for the manufacture of gasesconsists in the heating ofgases for instance carbon di-oxide or water vapor in electric furnacesand allowing the dissociated gases in a hot condition to pass throughchambers which contains re-agcnts, such as coal or sulphur compounds.The oxygen is supposed to combine with the re-agents, forming reducinggases containing principally hydrogen and carbon monoxide.

An important disadvantage of this process is that it is difficult tobring the gases up to such a temperature as to'result in dissociation toany considerable degree Without destroying the material of the furnace.

If the process is to be carried out with sulphur the practical-difficulty encountered is that the sulphur evaporates and escapesbefore the temperature necessary for the reaction is reached. Accordingto the present invention the process is carried into, effect by the useof sulphur in such a manner that the reaction between the gases and thesulphur takes place in the electric arc itself, and not after leavingthe arc. In this way the sulphur can be exposed to a very hightemperature in the presence of carbon dioxide or Water vapor, and amixture of gases is obtained which, if water vapor and sulphur vaporhave been used, besides these two components, also containssulphurdi-oxide, hydrogen and small'quantities of hydrogen sulphide,which latter may be formed during the cooling of the gases.

Application filed March 9,1922; Serial No. 542,460.

If carbon di-oxide and sulphur vapor are used, the resultant gascontainscarbon monoxide, sulphur-di-oxide and it may be also small quantities ofother compounds as well as some of the original compounds. 1

Under certain circumstances it may prove more advantageous to work witha mixture of vapor and carbon di-oxide, whereby a mixture of gases isobtained that consists of all of the compounds above-mentioned.

In order to make use of the gas mixture thus obtained it has to besubjected to a purifying process, preferably at the same time utilizingthe heat of they gases. The purifying process consists in eliminatingthe sulphuric compounds and water vapor or carbon di-oxide, so thathydrogen, and carbon monoxide or a mixture of same is obtained.

Besides free sulphur, sulphides are chiefly furnace, by means of whichabout half of the sulphur in the pyrites is separated. If themeltedma-ss is subjected to hydrolysis,

a further quantity. of sulphur is" separated, iron bemg precipitated atthe same time.

This iron, which contains but little sulphur, can be further treatedaccording to known methods, in'order to obtain pure iron.

The applicant has also discovered that the sulphides can be utilizedimmediately in the electric furnace. When heated the sulphide gives offits sulphur which then, in statu nascendi, reactswith the water vapor orcarbonic acid, respectively. At'the same time the metal reacts with thewater vapor and carbon di-oxide to form further quantities of hydrogenand carbon monoxide.

The process is most advantageously eflected in an electric flame arcfurnace of the tube type, into-which the sulphide, for-instancepulverized iron pyrites in a finel divided condition, is blown togetherwith the gas. The elimination of the resulting metallic, oxide, when ofa magnetic character may readily take place magnetically after thereaction products are sufficiently cooled.

The subsequent treatment and purification of the gases takes place asdescribed above.

We'claim 1. Process for the production of reducing gases, comprising thetreatment of gaseous oxygen compounds and sulphuric vapor in theelectric arc, and purifying the gas by freeing it from sulphur andsulphur compounds.

4. Process for the production of reducing,

gases, comprising thetreatment of gaseous oxygen compounds 'withsulphides of heavy metals in an electric arc.

5. Process for the production of reducing gases containing hydrogen andcarbonmon freeing it from sulphur and sulphur com-.

pounds.

6. Process for the production of reducing gases comprising the treatmentof gaseous oxygen compounds with iron pyrites in an electric arc andmagnetically separating the iron-oxide from the reaction products.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our invention, we havesigned our' names in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANTONIUS FOSS. BIRGER FJELD HALVORSEN. NICOLAI STEPHANSEN. Witnesses:

MOGEN BUGGE, GULBORG GULBRANDSEN.

